Who Moved, the Southern Baptist Convention or the Baptist General Convention of Texas?
by: Charles C. McLaughlin
Associate Coordinator, TBC

The conflict between moderate/conservatives and fundamentalists is not a fight between contemporary preachers. Attitude, belief and behavior differences are rooted in history.

One man stands out in the early history of Texas Baptists. He led malicious attacks on the BGCT, Baylor University and Southwestern Seminary.

When Baylor and Southwestern Seminary refused to teach according to his specifications, he accused them of doctrinal liberalism and denying the Bible.

From his church he sent out a paper, the Fundamentalist, that regularly attacked Texas Baptist leaders and institutions. In the 1920s J. Frank Norris was known for creating suspicion, circulating falsehoods and publicizing misleading implications.

SBC Opposes Norris

Norris's attacks motivated L.R. Scarborough, Southwestern's second president, to lead the way in unseating messengers at the state and associational meetings from the First Baptist Church in Fort Worth, where Norris was pastor. In a tract called The Fruits of Norrisism, Scarborough wrote against the destructive danger of Norris's attack of hatred against innocent personalities and institutions (see page 5). In 1948, the Southern Baptist Convention refused to seat Norris.

One historian cited that "when church trustees attempted to fire him, he fired all of the trustees and deacons. Six hundred members left the church, a move Norris viewed as a 'purification process.'" In 1938, Norris formed the World Fundamental Baptist Mission Fellowship, a movement identified with independent non-Southern Baptists.

In 1979, following similar appeals against liberalism, an organized effort began a successful attempt at taking over the SBC. After 20 years, the changes continue to become self-evident.

Now there is another state convention, Southern Baptists of Texas, whose supporters are throwing the same rocks Norris used to attack the BGCT. Instead of the Fundamentalist, we have Viewpoint, a publication of the Missouri Baptist Laymen's Association, mailed out by a Baptist church in Mineral Wells, Texas. They echo the same cry of liberalism, the same twist of information to present false implication, the same attacks to create suspicion. Only now, the attacks are supported by the SBC, because it is dominated by fundamentalists.

In fact, the SBC has so radically changed that the independent Baptists are now at home. In 1998 Jerry Falwell and some of his church members attended the SBC as messengers. Falwell said he and his church have always been identified with the independent fundamentalist Baptist movement, which was founded by the late J. Frank Norris.

"Now there is no reason at all for any Bible-believing independent conservative Baptist church not to become a part of the SBC," Falwell said.

One reason Falwell gave for participating in 1998 was to vote for his close friend, Paige Patterson, as convention president. SBC President Patterson has apparently received his wish expressed in a 1994 speech in Virginia, "We keep hoping that Uncle Jerry will come our way."

SBC embraces Norris

This week, officials of the North American Mission Board announced that it will partner with Falwell's church, Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va., to start a "flagship" church in Chicago's northern suburbs. Thomas Road and NAMB each will be funding $250,000 for a flagship church over a two-year period.

The hope is for the Chicago church to become a mega-church and then for it to start other churches in the region. The church planter, who will pastor the church, is a member of Thomas Road and finishing a doctoral degree at Falwell's Liberty University. Four other mega-churches, will be following the same plan in other cities. Do you think a moderate mega-church that gives to the SBC will be considered for this program?

It is obvious that the SBC tent has shifted dramatically to the right. The BGCT is receiving criticism for not moving with the SBC. And it is Texas Baptists Committed that remains beside L.R. Scarborough in opposing Norrisite fundamentalism. Churches, associations and other state conventions will inevitably have to choose to go the way of Norris or remain with historic Baptist principles.

Be assured the SBC made its decision years ago and will never turn back. First Baptist Church of Fort Worth voted in 1990 to rejoin the SBC in light of the denomination shift. Pastor Billy Ramsey explained the decision, "I feel if J. Frank Norris were here today and saw the direction the SBC was moving, he would vote with us to reunite with Southern Baptists. This is an effort to complete the fight for the Bible started under Norris."

May 2000